Fishing plug with paired snagless hooks

ABSTRACT

A fishing plug provided on opposite forward sides with a first pair of spring-biased normally expanded but squeezable fishhooks and at its rearward tail end with a second pair of dorsal and ventral hooks. The barbed bends of the hooks at the headed forward end cross each other and are nested and cocked in recesses and spring out when the yieldable external shanks are sprung toward each other. The barbed bends of the second pair of hooks operate through an eye at the tail end and the barbs are cocked against diametrically opposite exterior surfaces of the plug. The use of paired forward and rearward hooks insures snagless fishing.

United States Patent Harris 51 Apr. 25, 1972 [54] FISHING PLUG WITHPAIRED SNAGLESS HOOKS [21] App]. No.: 27,547

Doane ..43/42.41 X Hunicke ..43/42.4l

Primary Examiner-Samuel Koren Assistant E.raminerDaniel .1. LeachAttorney-Clarence A. O'Brien and Harvey B. Jacobson [5 7] ABSTRACT Afishing plug provided on opposite forward sides with a first pair ofspring-biased normally expanded but squeezable fishhooks and at itsrearward tail end with a second pair of dorsal and ventral hooks. Thebarbed bends of the hooks at the headed forward end cross each other andare nested and cocked in recesses and spring out when the yieldableexternal shanks are sprung toward each other. The barbed bends of thesecond pair of hooks operate through an eye at the tail end and thebarbs are cocked against diametrically opposite exterior surfaces of theplug. The use of paired forward and rearward hooks insures snaglessfishing.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATWTFWPR 25 m2 3, 657. 8 3 6 Raymond HarrisINV/iNI'OK.

BY fizmdoiih WWW 5m FISHING PLUG WITH PAIRED SNAGLESS HOOKS Thisinvention relates to artificial fishing baits and, more particularly, toa colorful buoyant plug shaped to represent an attractive minnow andprovided with forward and rearward yieldingly mounted, normally cockedbarbed hooks, said hooks being paired and uniquely mounted, pressureresponsive, and coming into play when a fish swallows the hookequippedplug.

Persons conversant with the field of invention under consideration areaware that it is not new, broadly stated, to provide an artificial lureor bait wherein a minnow-like plug is slotted and wherein spring-biasedhooks are operatively mounted in such a manner that the barbed ends arehidden and concealed in a slot and which are adapted to be sprung out tofish catching position when the bait is taken and at which time thebarbed bills are embedded or lodged in the jaws of the victim fish. Oneprior art adaptation exemplary of the state of the art is the John A.Witty Artificial Bait U.S. Pat. No. l,l73,694, of Feb. 29, 1916.

An object of the present invention is to improve upon prior art fishinglures having paired weedless fishhooks.

In carrying out the principles of the present invention the wooden,plastic or equivalent elongated plug is shaped and proportioned toimitate an attractive minnow. For effective results and, as experiencehas shown, the disclosed adaptation is unique in that it has a firstpair of spring-biased normally expanded but squeezable fishhooks whichare located at diametrically opposite side surfaces of the headed orforward end. The body portion is provided with a slot and coactingrecess means to accommodatingly conceal and maintain the barbed hooks inconcealed but ready-to-function position when gripped and squeezed bythe fish. A second pair of hooks is located on dorsal and ventralsurfaces, respectively, at the tail end. These hooks likewise havecrossed barbed bends but are passed through an eye provided therefor onthe terminal tail end and have their barbed portions lodged normallyagainst diametrically opposite surfaces of the tail end in readiness tospring out when responsively actuated by the fish.

Briefly, it should be noted that the invention disclosed is aninnovation in that in addition to the paired forward and rearwardpressure-responsive springy hooks, the individual hooks are structurallyand functionally novel. This is to say the shank portion of each hook isflat-faced and elongated and constitutes a highly sensitive tang. Thetangs of the respective paired hooks diverge outwardly and rearwardlyfrom the cooperating plug surfaces and have forward ends which arefashioned into eyes which in turn are secured to the intervening plugportion. By flattening the elongated tangs they are not only yieldinglyand controllably sensitive but provide effective biting surfaces whichassist in contracting the shanks and expanding and projecting the barbedhooks to fish-snaring posi- IIOI'IS.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a fishing plug with paired forwardand rearward normally contracted snagless hooks, that is, with thebarbed bill portions seated in their cocked but ready-to-expandpositions.

FIG. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view, that is, with the plugin section and with the hooks appearing in their cocked positions andemphasizing the pocketed normal or retracted positions of the barbedbills of the forward pair of hooks.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view with portions of the median part appearing insection and showing the shank portions of the forward pair of hookscollapsed or pressed toward the plug and with the barbed hooks sprung inprojected fish-catching or projected relationship.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view with the rearward portion appearing insection and which illustrates the pair of rearward hooks sprung togetherand the barbed hook portions projected to fish-snagging and catchingpositions.

And FIG. 5 is a cross-section taken approximately on the plane of thesection line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Taking up first the suitably-colored elongated buoyant plug it will benoted that it is designated, generally stated, by the numeral 8. Itcomprises a forward appropriately headed portion 10 at the right in FIG.1 provided with an eye 12 to which a swivel 14 ofa fishing line 16 isconnected. The median body portion is denoted at 18 and the graduallytapering tail portion at 20. The opposite lengthwise side surfaces ofthe overall plug are denoted at 22. The lengthwise dorsal surface isdenoted at 24 and the underneath ventral surface at 26. The rearward ortail end portion is provided with an eye screw 28 (FIG. 2) embodying asuitably projecting or accessible guide eye 60. The median body portionis provided with an opening which is here designated as a slot 32 andwhich opens through the side surfaces 22 as best shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and5. The forward end portion of this slotted part is provided with leftand right suitably proportioned recesses 34 which constitute hookseating and concealing pockets, as best illustrated in FIG. 2.

Although the paired hooks are individually the same in construction andperform in approximately the same pressureresponsive manner it issignificant to point out that two pairs of hooks are provided. The firstpair comprises identical companion or complemental hooks which aredenoted by the numeral 36 and it is these hooks which cooperate with theslot and recess means 32 and 34. It will be noted that the shankportions are exteriorly arranged and that the curvate bends or barbedhook portions are in crossing normally cocked relationship as best shownin FIG. 2. Since both hooks are the same a description of one willsuffice for both. Each hook has a shank which is distinct and differentfrom ordinary hooks in that the major part of the shank is fashionedinto a highly sensitive spring steel tang 38. The terminal flat end ofthe tang is fashioned into an eye 40 which is seated against thecooperable surface and is secured by a headed fastener 42. The curvateor bent portion at the rear of the shank is of usual construction and isdenoted at 44 and the barbed bill or spearshaped terminal is denoted at46. With the hooks mounted in place the respective shanks divergeoutwardly and the inherent spring tension of the tangs serves tonormally seat the barbed bill portions in the recesses 34, that is,against the seating or abutment surfaces, this being the normal cockedbut ready-to-function position of the barbed bills. With thisconstruction it will be obvious that these two hooks 36, being onopposite sides of the headed portion and properly concealed, aresnagless but ready to be pressed into the contracted orpressure-responsive positions shown in FIG. 2. When the fish takes thebait and squeezes on the tangs or shanks the barbed bills are projectedsimultaneously outward and released from their secluded pocketedpositions and are then readied to snare the fish. The conditions may besuch that only the forward hooks are actuated. Alternatively, the resultmay be such that the paired rearward hooks also are actuated. Therearward hooks are differentiated by the numeral 48 and it will beobserved that the hooks are normally sprung to assume the cockedpositions best shown in FIG. 1. The highly sensitive spring steel tangof the shank is denoted at 50 and has an eye 52 screwed or otherwisefastened in place at 54. The curvate bend or bent portion of one hook isdenoted at 56 and overlaps or crosses over the corresponding bentportion of the other hook and the barbed bills 58 are spring-biasedagainst the coacting intervening dorsal and ventral surfaces in themanner illustrated. The curvate barbed bill portions operate through theguide eye 60. It follows that the paired rear hooks 48 when set areyieldingly squeezed against the dorsal and ventral surfaces but arecapable of being sprung out to assume the positions shown in FIG. 4 tofurther assist in making the catch.

Particular attention should be accorded the paired springy hooks whetherprovided at the forward or rearward end or at both end portions.Particularly novelty is predicated on the flat-faced highly resilientand sensitive tangs which maintain the hooks in normally cockedrelationship but are sensitively responsive to jaw pressure from thefish.

It is submitted that a careful consideration of the views of thedrawings taken in conjunction with the specification and the inventionas claimed will enable the reader to obtain a clear and comprehensiveunderstanding of the invention and features and advantages thereof.Accordingly, a more extended description is thought to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A weedless artificial fishing lure comprising an elongated fishingplug having a forward headed end terminating in a line attaching eye, amedian body portion, a rearward tail portion, longitudinal dorsal andventral surfaces and side surfaces, said tail portion being providedwith an axial outstanding guide eye, said body portion having a slotopening through exterior surfaces of said sides, said slot beingprovided at a forward end with outwardly opening recesses, said recessesproviding hook seating surfaces and concealing pockets, a first forwardpair of oriented and coordinating fishhooks, said fishhooks havingresilient normally spaced shanks situated on the respectively cooperableside surfaces of the intervening headed end of said plug and fastenedthereto, the curvate bends of said hooks overlapping and crossing eachother and being pointed and passing in opposite directions through saidslot and having barbed bill portions normally nested and sprung intosaid pockets and spring-biased and cocked against the respectivelycooperable seating surfaces of said pockets, said barbed bill portionsbeing projectible to fish catching positions when the fish swallows theplug and squeezes the respective shanks against the coacting sidesurfaces of the plug.

2. The fishing lure defined in and according to claim 1, and whereineach shank embodies a flat-faced sensitively pliant pressure responsivemounting and attaching tang.

3. The fishing lure defined in and according to claim 1, and, incombination, a second pair of oriented and coordinating fishhookscomplemental to said first pair of fishhooks, said second pair offishhooks being confined to the locale of said tail portion and arrangedwholly on and being cooperable with said dorsal and ventral surfaces ofthe plug and having diametrically opposite resilient shanks whoseforward ends are fastened to coacting surfaces of the tail portion, saidshanks being sprung outwardly and spaced from the intervening tailportion, the respective barbed bill portions being directed toward andoverlapping and crossing each other and passing guidingly through saidoutstanding guide eye, said barbed bill portions being yieldingly sprungagainst coacting exterior sur faces of the tail portion and thus cockedand readied to be released and projected to fish snagging positions whenthe shanks are responsively squeezed and thus forced toward each other.

4. The fishing lure defined in and according to claim 3, and whereineach shank of said second pair of fishhooks embodies a flat-faced highlypliant and pressure sensitive tang having a forward terminaltang-attaching eye.

5. The fishing lure defined in and according to claim 4 and wherein thefirst pair of hooks, which are located on the respective opposite sidesurfaces, are in a common plane with each other but in a plane at rightangles to the plane of the dorsal and ventral mounted second pair ofhooks.

6. A Weedless artificial fishing lure comprising an elongated fishingplug having a forward headed end, a median body portion, a rearward tailportion, longitudinal dorsal and ventral surfaces, and complemental sidesurfaces, said body portion having a slot therein opening through saidside surfaces, said slot being provided at a forward end with outwardlyopening recesses, said recesses providing hook seating surfaces andconcealing pockets, a first forward pair of oriented and coordinatingfishhooks having resilient normally spaced shanks situated on therespectively cooperable side surfaces and cooperable with theintervening headed end of said plug and fastened thereto, each shankembodying a fiat-faced sensitively pliant pressure responsive mountingand attaching tang, the curvate bends of said fishhooks overlapping andcrossing each other and being pointed and passing in opposite directionsthrough said slot and having barbed bill portions normally nested andsprung into said pockets and being spring-biased and cocked against therespectively cooperable seating surfaces.

7. The fishing lure defined in and according to claim 6 and, incombination, a second pair of fishhooks complemental to said first pairof fishhooks, said second pair of fishhooks being confined to the localeof said tail portion and arranged wholly on and being cooperable withsaid dorsal and ventral surfaces and having diametrically oppositeshanks whose forward ends are coordinated with and fastened to coactingsurfaces of the tail portion, said shanks being directed outwardly andbeing spaced from the intervening tail portion, the shank of each one ofsaid second pair of fishhooks embodying a highly pliant and pressuresensitive tang.

1. A weedless artificial fishing lure comprising an elongated fishingplug having a forward headed end terminating in a line attaching eye, amedian body portion, a rearward tail portion, longitudinal dorsal andventral surfaces and side surfaces, said tail portion being providedwith an axial outstanding guide eye, said body portion having a slotopening through exterior surfaces of said sides, said slot beingprovided at a forward end with outwardly opening recesses, said recessesproviding hook seating surfaces and concealing pockets, a first forwardpair of oriented and coordinating fishhooks, said fishhooks havingresilient normally spaced shanks situated on the respectively cooperableside surfaces of the intervening headed end of said plug and fastenedthereto, the curvate bends of said hooks overlapping and crossing eachother and being pointed and passing in opposite directions through saidslot and having barbed bill portions normally nested and sprung intosaid pockets and spring-biased and cocked against the respectivelycooperable seating surfaces of said pockets, said barbed bill portionsbeing projectible to fish catching positions when the fish swallows theplug and squeezes the respective shanks against the coacting sidesurfaces of the plUg.
 2. The fishing lure defined in and according toclaim 1, and wherein each shank embodies a flat-faced sensitively pliantpressure responsive mounting and attaching tang.
 3. The fishing luredefined in and according to claim 1, and, in combination, a second pairof oriented and coordinating fishhooks complemental to said first pairof fishhooks, said second pair of fishhooks being confined to the localeof said tail portion and arranged wholly on and being cooperable withsaid dorsal and ventral surfaces of the plug and having diametricallyopposite resilient shanks whose forward ends are fastened to coactingsurfaces of the tail portion, said shanks being sprung outwardly andspaced from the intervening tail portion, the respective barbed billportions being directed toward and overlapping and crossing each otherand passing guidingly through said outstanding guide eye, said barbedbill portions being yieldingly sprung against coacting exterior surfacesof the tail portion and thus cocked and readied to be released andprojected to fish snagging positions when the shanks are responsivelysqueezed and thus forced toward each other.
 4. The fishing lure definedin and according to claim 3, and wherein each shank of said second pairof fishhooks embodies a flat-faced highly pliant and pressure sensitivetang having a forward terminal tang-attaching eye.
 5. The fishing luredefined in and according to claim 4 and wherein the first pair of hooks,which are located on the respective opposite side surfaces, are in acommon plane with each other but in a plane at right angles to the planeof the dorsal and ventral mounted second pair of hooks.
 6. A weedlessartificial fishing lure comprising an elongated fishing plug having aforward headed end, a median body portion, a rearward tail portion,longitudinal dorsal and ventral surfaces, and complemental sidesurfaces, said body portion having a slot therein opening through saidside surfaces, said slot being provided at a forward end with outwardlyopening recesses, said recesses providing hook seating surfaces andconcealing pockets, a first forward pair of oriented and coordinatingfishhooks having resilient normally spaced shanks situated on therespectively cooperable side surfaces and cooperable with theintervening headed end of said plug and fastened thereto, each shankembodying a flat-faced sensitively pliant pressure responsive mountingand attaching tang, the curvate bends of said fishhooks overlapping andcrossing each other and being pointed and passing in opposite directionsthrough said slot and having barbed bill portions normally nested andsprung into said pockets and being spring-biased and cocked against therespectively cooperable seating surfaces.
 7. The fishing lure defined inand according to claim 6 and, in combination, a second pair of fishhookscomplemental to said first pair of fishhooks, said second pair offishhooks being confined to the locale of said tail portion and arrangedwholly on and being cooperable with said dorsal and ventral surfaces andhaving diametrically opposite shanks whose forward ends are coordinatedwith and fastened to coacting surfaces of the tail portion, said shanksbeing directed outwardly and being spaced from the intervening tailportion, the shank of each one of said second pair of fishhooksembodying a highly pliant and pressure sensitive tang.